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Be Well Blog

As the occupational therapy supervisor at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital and the mother of a son with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, I am familiar with how arthritis can affect patients in all area of their lives.

Siblings of children with special needs fill unique roles in their families. Depending on the day and the circumstance, they may need to be their brother’s or sister’s caregiver, cheerleader, advocate or helper. All of these important roles help siblings to learn responsibility, acceptance, diversity and patience at an early age.

While you are “decking the halls” this holiday season, make sure you take steps to avoid household accidents that can land you or a family member in the hospital. Good Shepherd’s Safety and Security Department offers the following tips to make sure your holiday season is “merry and bright.”

Do you have tired feet? Do you work all day in uncomfortable shoes? Below are a few simple stretches that can be done at the end of the day, which may help address the tightness and stiffness associated with weary feet.

Kick off your shoes as soon as you get into the house and walk around for a few minutes. Sit down and do a few ankle and foot circles to prepare for stretching.

You start your day feeling fine and decide to head to the local mall. As you start to walk through the mall, pain begins in your thigh. You find a bench, sit down and the pain goes away. What you may be experiencing is spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column that causes pressure on the spinal cord or the openings where spinal nerves leave the spinal column.

Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude and enjoy a holiday meal with family and friends. Unfortunately, with all the gatherings, it is also a time when cooking fires peak and when animals overindulge on treats that can upset their digestion. Here are some tips to help keep you, your family and your pets safe during this Thanksgiving holiday.

Imagine you are not able to move your hands and have to ask someone for help with everyday tasks, like turning on the lights, lowering the blinds or switching on the television? People with paralysis and other severe disabilities experience such challenges, but technology can offer greater independence.

Do you suffer from chronic headaches? You are not alone. An estimated 40 and 50 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. Roughly 15 percent of the U.S. population suffers from debilitating migraine headaches, which are one of the most common medical conditions in the Western world. The American Council for Headache Education (ACHE) estimates that 95 percent of women and 90 percent of men in the U.S.